Blues FortyOne- The Place to be for Great Food & Live Music

Hello Fellow Foodies,

My latest BocaFoodFind is the new Blues/Jazz Restaurant in Downtown Boca called Blues FortyOne (41 E. Palmetto Park Rd.) I ventured out there the other night with a friend to check the place out. We were warmly greeted and asked if we'd like to be seated at a table or if we preferred to have a seat at the bar. We decided upon the latter. To get the evening started, I selected the Diseno Old Vine Malbec, ($7) and my friend had the Blufeld Riesling, ($7) both very tasty.

We then glanced at the menu and soon discovered that it was quite eclectic. It had everything on it from Steak, Veal, Lamb, Pork and Fish to Sushi, Soups & Salads. It was explained to us that the thought behind the menu was that they wanted to be able to have something on the menu that would appeal to everyone in the party who came there. Well, I believe they hit their mark with these offerings. As we were trying to decide what sushi to start off with, Sushi Chef Chi came over to us and asked us to tell him what we liked. We both agreed that we liked eel and also a crunch factor, so he suggested we try the Crunchy Eel Roll, ($11), which was actually an adaptation of the Crunchy Tuna Roll. Besides the eel, which was definitely the star ingredient of this roll, it also had scallion and avocado and was fried perfectly. It was excellent, and quite a work of art to boot!


Next up was the 14 oz Prime NY Strip Steak, ($39), with grilled Zucchini & Sweet Potato Croquettes. The steak was seasoned and cooked to perfection and the croquette had a nice crispy coating and a soft flavorful center. Not pictured, but definitely a highlight of this dish were the crispy shallots that were placed on top of the steak. They were amazing! We decided to share the Eggplant-Portobello Tower ($22), which consisted of lightly breaded/fried eggplant and grilled portobello mushrooms drizzled with a balsamic glaze, roasted tomatoes and grilled zucchini topped with a little dollop of fresh hummus. Delicious!






To end this very satisfying meal, we were brought out a beautiful Panna Cotta, ($7) -Italian Vanilla Custard with a trio of berries (Raspberry, Blackberry and Blueberry) with Grand Marnier and brown sugar. Simply divine!

While we dined, a pianist played ambient jazz music, which we were told is typical during the dinner hours and that they kick it up a notch with premium Blues bands later in the evening. For a complete line up, you can check their music schedule online at http://www.bluesfortyone.com/.

Blues FortyOne is located at 41 E. Palmetto Park Rd, Boca Raton 561-672-1515.

They are open Tues - Thurs 5 - 11pm; Fri & Sat 5pm - 2am and Sun 5pm - 9pm.

Become a Fan of theirs on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BluesFortyOne

Until we eat again...

I send you Delicious Wishes, xo

Denise

Sushi & Sake & Yakitori - Oh My!

Hello Fellow Foodies,

I am excited to report to you my latest BocaFoodFind- Yakitori Sake House, located in Royal Palm Place, in the former Diamatsu Sushi location on SE Mizner Blvd. I have three words to describe my new favorite sushi restaurant (well, it's actually one word, but I have to repeat it three times to achieve the impact: FRESH! FRESH! FRESH! These guys aren't skimping, that's for sure. The thick cuts of sashimi were melting in my mouth. Owner Ben, who opened up Yakitori after working for a Japanese restaurant in Coral Springs for 14 years, was on hand to chat with while I sat across from him at the highly stylized sushi bar. I was curious about the name Yakitori and what it meant and soon found out that it is the Japanese version of skewers. My server, Tina was so sweet. After handing me the menu, she asked me what I'd like to drink. Being that it was lunch and I had to return to my office, I resisted my usual sushi side kick (sake) and opted for a refreshing Calpico (Japanese juice). Since this was my first visit, I was interested in trying a variety of items on the menu. After looking over the yakitori choices, I announced to Ben that I'd like to try the Pork Belly. He graciously nodded and then suggested I try the Sea Bass and the Calamari as well (his personal favorites). I eagerly obliged. Turns out, they were all delicious, but the Sea Bass and the Calamari were indeed my favorites too. On to the sashimi. Jeff, the Sushi Chef started me off with a plate of Salmon, Seared Albacore Tuna & Hamachi. OMG!
Every bite kept getting better than the one before it! The fish was (dare I say it again), so FRESH and such a generous thick cut. I have to say that the Hamachi was probably my most favorite of the three, although it was so close. Then Jason came out (who I'm pretty sure doesn't speak much English yet) holding what appeared to be a prized fish. Apparently it was a Hiramasa fish, flown in from Japan. They say it's even better than Hamachi. After I snapped a photo of him holding up this "prized possession", he returned to the kitchen and shortly returned with it cut into portion sizes. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try that, but will certainly ask for that on a return visit. Next Jeff made me a Little Tuna Tower, which was one of their specialty rolls. It consisted of chopped spicy tuna on top of a tempura roll of tuna, cream cheese and avocado. I tell you, with so many rolls to choose from, I'm sure there's something for everyone!

Yakitori has a nice patio with tiki torches and a cool interior and hip vibe. They've got two fantastic happy hours on Wednesdays - Saturdays from 4:30 - 6:30pm & again from 11pm - 2am. Buy 1, get 1 on hot sakes, Sapporo draft and house wine.

They are located at 271 SE Mizner Blvd, in Royal Palm Place, http://www.yakitorisakehouse.com/ and on facebook: www.facebook.com/YakitoriSakeHouse 561-544-0087.

Until we eat again,

I send you delicious wishes, xo

Denise

Meze Fest

Dear Fellow Foodies,

My latest foodie event took place at Anatolia's Mediterranean Restaurant in Downtown Boca. We had a group of 20 who were treated to a wonderful selection of both hot & cold Mezes (or appetizers). Since Anatolia's doesn't serve wine, guests are encouraged to bring their own for a nominal charge of just $5 per bottle. Our wait staff was extremely attentive and were quick to open our bottles and chill any that needed to be chilled. Our first platter arrived and consisted of Hummus, Ezme (finely minced tomatoes, green peppers & onion), Babaganus (fire-roasted eggplant, tahini & herbs), Eggplant salad (fire-roasted eggplant, veggies & herbs) and Dolma (stuffed grape leaves). This came along with unlimited baskets of their home baked bread and homemade sun dried pepper dipping sauce, which was a big hit with this crowd!

Next up was a dish called Barbunya, which are kidney beans served slighly warmed with carrot, celerly and a light olive oil/lemon juice. Very tasty. Following the Barbunya came one of my favorite dishes: Kizartma - seasoned grilled veggies with a garlic yogurt sauce drizzled on top. We had grilled eggplant, zucchini, carrots & cauliflower. Kisir came out served on a lovely bed of romaine lettuce leaves. Kisir is a cracked wheat which the chef masterfully combined with scallion, tomato, parsely and a pomegranate molasses lemon juice to create a perfect blend of texture and seasoning. We were instructed to eat this by scooping the kisir onto the lettuce leaves, everyone willingly followed these instructions.

To end the night on a sweet note, we were treated to a homemade mini baklava square made with layers of phyllo dough, filled with pistachios and walnuts and drizzled with homemade syrup and then topped with crushed pistachios. If you've read my previous food blog that I did on Anatolia's "Let's Talk Turkey", then you will also see that I was served this most yummy creation for dessert. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I dare anyone to find a better piece of baklava! Anatolia's in my opinion makes THE BEST, period!

So there you have it. To read some of the other comments made by my guests, please go to Anatolia's facebook page: www.facebook.com/AnatoliaBoca. While there, be sure to "LIKE" them.

They are located at 212 S. Federal Hwy. Boca Raton, 33432 561-361-4000
Open for lunch and dinner 7 days/week.

Stop in and say hi to the owners Nuran & Nadir. They will treat you, like they treated us...Like Family. Enjoy.

Until we eat again,
I send you delicious wishes xo,

Denise

Where else can you get Middle Eastern, Afghan, Persian & American cuisine all in one place? Cuisine by Silvia, that's where!

Hello Fellow Foodies,

I recently brought a group of my friends to Cuisine by Silvia, a quaint little treasure located in Royal Palm Place. We tried a variety of the dishes that the owner Michael had brought out for us Family style. We started with the mushroom soup, which was a big hit with everyone. It had a wonderful texture and was creamy, although I believe he said it was not made with any cream. Next we were served baskets of freshly made pita bread with a variety of sides for dipping. My favorite was the babaganoush, followed by the Turkish cigars (a traditional meze made with a meat filling and phyllo dough and rolled tightly to resemble little cigars). We tried a few of the main entrees such as their Stuffed Chicken breast, which was stuffed with ground beef and red bell pepper and served with our choice of cous cous or rice pilaf. A mushroom gravy was brought out to accompany this dish which was excellent. The Rib Eye Steak normally comes on the bone, but for our group, Michael cut it into strips and served it Family style. The steak was cooked perfectly and was full of flavor. We had our choice of the above rice or french fries (or in my case, I had a little of both). We all enjoyed the ambience, the hospitality and of course the food and look forward to coming back again soon.

They are a Kosher Restaurant as well and do observe the Sabbath and as such are closed on Fridays & Saturdays. They are open for lunch & dinner, Sunday - Thursday from 11:30am - 9pm.

Cuisine by Silvia is located at 141 Via Naranjas, Suite 45b, Boca Raton, FL 33432
561-361-3939 Facebook: www.facebook.com/CuisineBySilvia

Until we eat again...
I send you delicious wishes, xo
Denise

Piccolino's, Boca's most recent addition to the world of authentic Italian cuisine

Hello Fellow Foodies,



The aromatic bouquet of garlic and slow cooked sauces can be intoxicating if you're walking through the downtown Boca area around lunch or dinner time. I'd been wanting to stop in to check out Piccolino's, the newest Italian restaurant to open up on Federal Highway, just south of Palmetto Park Road for some time now and finally made a point to invite some friends to join me a couple Saturdays ago. Owner Roberto Vacca and his lovely wife Leonora were so gracious and made us feel as if we were guests in their home right away. We were offered a nice glass of wine and soon were brought out a number of traditional classics to try. The Caprese Salad contained the freshest buffalo mozzarella that I've had in a very long time. It was so creamy, what a delight. The eggplant parm was off the charts. Fantastico! The Lasagna and Gnocchi were perfectly cooked and were packed with flavor as well. The Margherita Pizza was a crowd favorite; very thin and crispy and very tasty. The Ciabatta bread is fresh and is a nice vessel for mopping up your sauces and is also the star of their panini sandwiches.














Piccolino's is open for lunch M - F and dinner M - Sat. They are available for private parties on the weekends as well. It's a cozy little restaurant filled to the brim with charm, personality and top notch hospitality. I can't wait to return and I highly recommend you try it too.

Located at 78 S. Federal Hwy. Boca Raton 33432 561-395-8858

http://www.piccolinoboca.com/ Facebook: Piccolino Italian Restaurant





Until we eat again,

I send you delicious wishes, xo

Denise